North Yorkshire Councillor George Jabbour was invited to give a presentation during the Sunday service at the Methodist Church in Helmsley last week.

The Helmsley Councillor, who left Syria in 2004 to come to the UK, told members of the congregation about the significance that Saint George has internationally, not only as the patron saint of England, but also as a highly venerated saint in Syria and many other countries.

In addition, Councillor Jabbour, who was baptised as a Greek Orthodox Christian, spoke about the Eastern Orthodox Church, the difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and why this has meant that Easter and other religious occasions are not always celebrated on the same day by Christians around the world.

Leslie Helm of Helmsley Methodist Church said: "When George attended Chapel a few weeks ago, we asked him if he could give a talk at our Sunday service. It was kind of him to accept the invitation as we found his presentation informative and interesting. We also had the chance to learn more about George's background."

Councillor Jabbour added: "It was a pleasure to speak at the Sunday service at the Methodist Church in Helmsley. I talked about a variety of topics, including St George and his legend, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the scientific and mathematical reasons for the difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars. Hopefully, there was something for everyone."